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Sales and selling is often a maligned profession. It’s as though the sales professional is out to “get” the buyer and brings no intrinsic value to the interaction other than a necessary evil. On the contrary, it is one of the most difficult professions and one that should be respected as more of a challenging job than a dirty job.

I have been thinking about a few instances lately where our team – myself included – felt we were in good shape on a project, that we had what the client wanted. I think this perception was based on what we believed the client needed. In the end, we were listening to ourselves and not the client. After some stresses and strains, we understood and delivered, but there was pain that could have been avoided or at least mitigated better.

Values, Mission and Vision statements are widely used and a common practice in organizations. The creation of them is often a painful process when done by a committee, as it reminds one of the camel being a horse designed by a committee – it’s hard to agree on the exact wording and priorities. That said, once established, how well does the organization actively promote them?

In Part 1, we discussed high-level considerations to keep in mind when evaluating a brownfield industrial property for your next facility. Now, we weigh some specific upsides and shortcomings of these unique sites.

When I started in sales some 30+ years ago, many of Austin’s design and construction projects were completed under a simple agreement between Austin and Owner. Austin’s standard agreements were simple layman’s contracts that explained costs, payments were based on Advance Fund Schedules (we were paid in advance for the work to be performed), limitations of liability and warranty, and cost protections the Owner and Austin agreed upon.

Your plans for adding another facility are coming together. Sales and revenue continue to increase. Your Board of Directors has given the “green light” to move forward. You’ve found the most favorable region for your supply-chain, which also has an ample pool of qualified labor. But you can’t find the specific property within that community on which to build. You are convinced that your operation would thrive in a more urban setting, but each site you’ve seen to-date resemble a cul-de-sac in a cow pasture at the outskirts of town.

The Austin Company recently nominated Judi Szabo-Stull, Manager of Facilities Development in our Cleveland Operations office, for a Green Building & Design2015 Women in Sustainability Leadership Award. For Judi, this is a much-deserved recognition – internally to Austin and more broadly within the industry. Good luck in the process Judi!

I write this on Wednesday night, July 1. July 4 is Saturday. We all seem to refer to July 4th as the “Fourth of July”, as opposed to the original and more appropriate name, Independence Day. When someone recently referred to Independence Day, the immediate vision that entered my mind was not parades or fireworks, but the Will Smith movie, Independence Day. That is embarrassing to admit and depressing to think about.

Leadership seems to be such a popular topic covered at industry association and company meetings and seminars, as well as the focus of study by countless consultancy and academic agencies. Thirty years ago, I do not remember there being such a concentrated focus on it. Clearly, it has become a more important aspect of what organizations do to compete and succeed.